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KBO’s Samsung Lions Place Tyler Saladino On Waivers

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The Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization have waived former big league infielder Tyler Saladino, per Jee-ho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency. The move opens a spot for Daniel Palka, whose previously reported agreement with the Lions is now official.

Saladino has been excellent with the Lions this season, but he’s currently out with a back injury. The Lions, who at 34-34 are still in the playoff mix, seemingly did not expect Saladino back in the near future. Otherwise, there’d be little reason to justify cutting bait on a player who’d slashed .280/.411/.477 with six homers and six steals apiece through 163 plate appearances. It was a strong showing for the 31-year-old Saladino — one that could perhaps create additional opportunities in South Korea or Japan once he’s worked back to health. Alternatively, Saladino may opt to pursue a new opportunity with a big league club.

In parts of five Major League seasons between the White Sox and Brewers, Saladino is a .226/.278/.330 hitter through 1064 plate appearances. He’s appeared at every position other than catcher and pitcher in the Majors, and in his 44 games with the Lions, Saladino saw action at third base, first base, shortstop and in left field.

KBO’s Samsung Lions Close To Deal With Daniel Palka

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The Samsung Lions of the KBO League are closing in on a deal with outfielder Daniel Palka, according to DKTV’s Daniel Kim (Twitter link).  The White Sox still control Palka’s rights, though since he was outrighted off their 40-man roster last November and wasn’t included on the team’s 60-man player pool this month, Palka doesn’t appear to be in Chicago’s future plans.

Palka burst into the majors in 2018 and finished fifth in AL Rookie Of The Year balloting on the strength of his 27 homers in 449 plate appearances, though his overall batting line (.240/.294/.484) didn’t hint at much beyond raw power.  A brutal start to the 2019 season led to a pretty quick demotion to the minors for Palka, and he didn’t receive much more extended playing time until September, finishing with an ugly .372 OPS over 93 PA for the season.

There’s a lot of swing-and-miss in Palka’s game, as he struck out 188 times over his 542 Major League plate appearances, though he has shown considerable more promise at the plate during his minor league career.  Over 2287 PA in the farm systems of the Diamondbacks, Twins, and White Sox, Palka hit .269/.349/.500 with 136 homers.  A move to South Korea and the hitter-friendly KBO League could be just what Palka needs to get his career back on track and perhaps improve his stock for a future contract with a North American club.

Palka would be taking the roster spot left open by another former big leaguer in Tyler Saladino, who is out of action with a back injury.  Kim notes that Saladino has been sidelined since July 14, and the fact that the Lions are already lining up a replacement would seem to indicate that the injury could be serious.  Performance-wise, Saladino has an impressive .280/.411/.477 slash line through 163 PA in his first KBO season.

Saladino signed with the Lions last winter, coming on the heels of 326 MLB games with the White Sox and Brewers from 2015-19.  By coincidence, Saladino and Palka were both members of the 2018 White Sox, though Saladino was already off to Milwaukee before Palka made his big league debut.

Tyler White Signs With SK Wyverns

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8:20pm: White has signed with the Wyverns for a guaranteed $130K and a $30K option for the rest of the season, Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News tweets. He’ll have to go through a two-week quarantine before joining the team.

3:54pm: Dodgers first baseman Tyler White is finalizing a contract with SK Wyverns of the Korea Baseball Organization, Daniel Kim of MBC reports. White is not part of the Dodgers’ 60-man player pool.

The Dodgers acquired White last July in a trade with the Astros, with whom he debuted in 2016 and showed flashes of offensive brilliance at times. In a 304-plate appearance run from 2017-18, White slashed an excellent .277/.349/.531 (140 wRC+) with 15 home runs. However, the 29-year-old fell to earth last season, combining for a dismal .208/.308/.304 showing with three homers and a 71 wRC+ in 279 PA between Los Angeles and Houston.

White only collected 26 trips to the plate and one hit as a Dodger, thanks in part to a right trapezius strain. The team outrighted him off its 40-man roster in the offseason, and with no clear opportunity to reestablish himself in the majors, he’ll now try to rebuild his stock overseas. The Wyverns could certainly use a revival from White, as the club has won just 19 of its first 61 games this year.

SK Wyverns Release Nick Kingham

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The SK Wyverns of the Korea Baseball Organization have released right-hander Nick Kingham, Naver Sports reports (translation via MyKBO’s Dan Kurtz, on Twitter). The former Pirates top prospect was limited to just two starts before going down with an elbow injury that has yet to sufficiently heal.

Kingham, 28, signed with the Wyverns back in November — agreeing to a $500K base salary and a $200K signing bonus to play in Asia for the first time in his career. The injury prevented him from getting much of a chance, though, and Kingham’s Wyverns stint will end with eight earned runs and a 6-to-4 K/BB ratio in just 10 2/3 innings.

Back in 2014-15, Kingham was touted not only as one of the Pirates’ best prospects but as one of the best pitching prospects in baseball. He ranked 64th on Baseball America’s Top 100 list in the 2013-14 offseason and landed at No. 75 on MLB.com’s top 100 a year later. The 2010 fourth-rounder breezed through Class-A Advanced and Double in 2013 (2.89 ERA, 9.0 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 in 143 innings) and enjoyed similarly strong results between Double-A and Triple-A in 2014 (3.34 ERA, 6.7 K/9, 2.9 BB/9 in 159 frames).

Kingham made just six starts in 2015 before going down with elbow pain that eventually proved to be due to a UCL tear, however. The right-hander had Tommy John surgery that May and was sidelined until July 2016. Kingham eventually made it to the Majors in 2018 — three years after he first looked to be on the cusp of MLB readiness — and wowed Bucs fans when he took a perfect game into the seventh inning of his debut effort. Things went downhill from there, however, and Kingham finished his rookie year with a 5.21 ERA in 76 frames.

Kingham never found his footing in multiple looks with the Pirates, as he was designated for assignment after a combined 6.67 ERA in 110 2/3 innings in his original organization. He did notch a 3.00 ERA in 21 innings of relief with the Blue Jays late last year, although that came with a 5.51 FIP and an ugly .296/.360/.506 opponents’ batting line. Kingham won’t turn 29 until November and has a solid Triple-A track record under his belt, so he could still resurface as a depth piece for a big league club or perhaps get another look in Asia once his elbow is back to 100 percent.

As for the Wyverns, Kurtz notes that they’re looking around for a replacement option for Kingham, so it’s possible that we’ll see a familiar name eventually head over to South Korea to take his place on the roster.

Jung Ho Kang Ends KBO Comeback Attempt

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Former Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang had been hoping to make a professional comeback in his native Korea, but he has ended that attempt, Jeehoo Yoo of Yonhap News reports. It’s unclear whether Kang will try to play again outside of the Korea Baseball Organization.

The Kiwoom Heroes hold the KBO rights over the 33-year-old Kang, who played for the club from 2010-14. Kang was successful enough in his homeland to earn a guaranteed contract from Pittsburgh, which signed him to a four-year, $11MM pact prior to the 2015 season. It looked like a wise investment for a little while, as Kang slashed a terrific .273/.355/.483 (129 wRC+) with 36 home runs and 5.8 fWAR in 837 plate appearances during his first two years in the majors. However, significant off-field problems – ones that have largely centered on issues with alcohol – have been an unfortunate part of the package.

Kang has picked up three DUI arrests, including one before the 2017 season that stopped him from securing a work visa to return from South Korea. He missed that year and almost all of 2018 as a result, and while Kang did return to the Pirates last season, he only hit .169/.222/.395 (55 wRC+) across 185 trips to the plate. Consequently, the Pirates decided to release him in August.

The likelihood is that Kang will never play in the majors again, and it no longer appears he’ll suit up in the KBO again. The league issued him a one-year suspension back in May, but that ban won’t take effect until Kang signs with one of its teams (if he does). Although the Heroes have his rights, he’s not actually a member of the team.

KBO Preparing Plan To Allow Fans In Ballparks

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The Korea Baseball Organization is preparing guidelines to gradually admit fans back into parks, reports Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News (via Twitter). The expectation is the league will admit fans at approximately 30 percent of stadium capacity to start out, perhaps as soon as next weekend. If all goes well, the league could incrementally increase admissions thereafter, Yoo reports.

Predictably, the in-stadium experience would look quite different than it would’ve in a normal year. Yoo notes that fans would be required to stay apart from one another and wear masks, while concession stands would mostly remain closed.

Restrictions notwithstanding, the plan’s finalization would be a welcome step for Korean baseball. The KBO began play without fans on May 5 and has proceeded without stoppage for the better part of two months. That obviously reflects South Korea’s broader success in limiting the spread of COVID-19.

It is unlikely, of course, MLB fans will enjoy entry into a ballpark at any time in 2020. The league has yet to officially rule out in-person attendance this season, but the massive uptick in coronavirus cases throughout the U.S. makes clear that will almost certainly not be feasible. Indeed, Dodgers president Stan Kasten told Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times this week he has no expectation of even a small number of fans attending Dodger Stadium any time soon.

KBO’s Hanwha Eagles Sign Brandon Barnes, Waive Jared Hoying

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The Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization have waived outfielder Jared Hoying and signed another former big leaguer, Brandon Barnes, to replace him on the roster, Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reports. The 34-year-old Barnes can earn up to $200K on his midseason deal, though only have that sum is guaranteed (with the rest available via incentives).

Barnes last popped up in the Majors back in 2018, when he hit well in a late-season cup of coffee with the Indians (.261/.333/.421 in 21 plate appearances). However, he hasn’t been a mainstay on a big league roster since his 2012-16 run between the Astros and Rockies. The former sixth-round pick (Astros, 2005) is a career .242/.290/.357 hitter in nearly 1300 Major League plate appearances and a .264/.329/.444 hitter in his Triple-A career. He split last season between the Triple-A affiliates for the Indians and Twins, connecting on 30 homers while adding 30 doubles and 11 steals. He’s capable of playing any of the three outfield slots.

Hoying, 31, was in his third season with the Eagles. He briefly saw MLB action with the 2016-17 Rangers but received only 126 plate appearances. He took the KBO by storm in 2017, erupting with a .306/.369/.573 slash, 30 home runs, 47 doubles, two triples and 23 stolen bases in his debut campaign. That easily earned him another contract with the Eagles, but Hoying hasn’t reached those height since. He still logged a solid .284/.340/.460 line last season, but he’s off to a dismal .194/.254/.323 start through 134 plate appearances this season.

Barnes isn’t expected to join the roster until July, Yoo details. He’ll complete a physical and go through a 14-day quarantine process before being added to the active roster. He’ll hope to help turn the tide for a last-place Eagles club that has slumped to a disastrous 10-32 record to begin the season.

Matt Harvey Has Received KBO, NPB Interest

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June 9: Harvey has also drawn interest from teams in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.

June 5: Former Mets ace Matt Harvey recently made known that he’s throwing regular bullpen sessions and hoping for another shot in the Majors, but the right-hander has also received interest from at least one club in the Korea Baseball Organization, MLBTR has confirmed. SBS in South Korea reported yesterday that Harvey had received interest and is at least open to the idea.

That said, there are some notable caveats to consider. Harvey does not appear to have received an offer, and the team in question is not focused solely on Harvey, a source tells MLBTR. It’s possible that the club could ultimately extend an offer to another pitcher of interest. KBO teams are capped at the number of foreign players they’re allowed to roster at the same time, so it’s not likely that the interested team would pursue multiple arms.

Furthermore, there are still some real obstacles with regard to actually getting a foreign pitcher up to speed with a KBO club. Daniel Kim of South Korea’s MBC recently tweeted that teams believe it could take four to six weeks to get a new player into game action. Beyond the actual negotiation and paperwork, the incoming player would need to go into a mandatory two-week quarantine upon arriving in South Korea. Pitchers, in particular, would then need some time to build up to game readiness. Just as many signed pitchers throughout MLB feel they’ll need a minimum three-week ramp-up period before returning to play, Harvey or any other pitcher would need a few weeks to build up his pitch counts.

It’s hard not to wonder what it’d be like to see a player who was at one time such a high-profile star make his way over to the KBO. There’d be some risks for Harvey, as a poor showing in the KBO would only further limit his appeal to MLB teams. Still, given the likely absence of a minor league season in 2020, it’s not as though he can hope for the opportunity to go prove himself in a Triple-A setting. Harvey’s most direct path back to the Majors right now is to hope that a team would be willing to carry him on an expanded roster/taxi squad, but his ugly 2019 numbers might make that a difficult path to achieve. A strong showing in the KBO could serve as a half-season audition for Major League clubs in 2021 and/or lead to 2021 offers in the KBO or Japan’s NPB.

Harvey, 31, struggled with the Angels in 2019 when he totaled 59 2/3 innings with a 7.09 ERA, 5.9 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9. He had a solid run in Cincinnati following a trade in 2018, though, pitching to a 4.50 ERA and 4.33 FIP in 24 starts. By all accounts, he fit in well in the Reds’ clubhouse, and Harvey himself spoke to the New York Post’s Dan Martin last month about the manner in which he feels he’s grown since his early years with the Mets. “I’ve grown up and matured on and off the field,” Harvey told Martin. “There are a lot of things I’d do differently, but I don’t like to live with regret.”

KBO Issues One-Year Suspension To Jung Ho Kang For Prior DUI Arrests

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May 26: Kang has pledged to donate his salary to charity should he sign with a KBO club, Yoo reports today.

May 25: The Korea Baseball Organization has reached a ruling regarding infielder Jung Ho Kang, who starred for the KBO’s Nexen (now Kiwoom) Heroes and spent parts of four years with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kang, who seeks reinstatement following a trio of DUI arrests, will be suspended for one year and will also be required to perform 300 hours of community service, Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reports.

Kang, 33, faced a ban of up to three years under the KBO’s stringent policies surrounding DUIs. However, his lawyers argued that because the latest policy was implemented in 2018 and Kang’s most recent arrest came in 2016 (when he was playing with the Pirates and thus not even in the KBO), he should not face a maximum penalty.  Yoo noted last week that something along the lines of 90 games could be considered were Kang only punished for two of his DUI arrests, and the actual ban lies somewhere in between those two potential outcomes.

The suspension for Kang won’t come into effect until he signs with a club. When or if that takes place is a bit complicated given that his former team still holds his rights. Kang would either need the Heroes’ permission to sign with another team or would need the organization to reinstate him from the “voluntarily retired” list, where he was placed when he was first posted for MLB clubs back in 2014.

Kang’s most recent DUI scandal brought about a swift downfall for a player who looked every bit the part of a productive Major Leaguer. After spending seven seasons with the Heroes and peaking with an outrageous .356/.459/.739 batting line as a 27-year-old back in 2014, Kang was posted for MLB teams and landed with the Pirates on a four-year, $11MM contract. He finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2015 and was well on his way solidifying himself as a quality regular from 2015-16, batting a combined .273/.355/.483 (126 OPS+, 129 wRC+) with 36 home runs, 43 doubles, two triples, eight steals and respectable defensive marks at both third base and shortstop.

That third DUI arrest, though, prevented Kang from securing his work visa and eventually caused him to miss the entire 2017 season as well as much of the 2018 campaign. He returned to the Pirates on a one-year pact last season but turned in a ghastly .169/.222/.395. His strikeout rate exploded from 21 percent in 2015-16 to more than 32 percent last season as his defensive grades plummeted.

Kang was worth about six wins above replacement in his first two big league seasons despite only appearing in 229 games and taking 837 plate appearances. It’s easy to imagine another world where he would’ve settled in as the Pirates’ regular third baseman. Given what was an affordable contract and a seemingly productive trajectory on a losing club, he might well have even emerged as a viable trade chip for the former front office regime.

Instead, while Kang may yet be granted one more chapter in his baseball career (depending on the Heroes’ action and interest from others in the KBO), he’ll go down as a “what might’ve been” case.

Jung Ho Kang Seeking KBO Comeback

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It emerged recently that former Korea Baseball Organization superstar and Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang was interested in resuming his career in his native Korea. But it wasn’t clear just how he planned to accomplish that.

Trouble is, Kang has been arrested three times for driving under the influence — a shameful mark that scuttled his MLB career and subjects him to the KBO’s harsh mandatory minimum suspension of three years. At 33 years of age, a three-year wait would pose some difficulties.

It seems the hope is to argue that the rule shouldn’t be applied in that manner. Per Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap (Twitter thread), Kang’s reps have asked the league not to count the third arrest since it took place when he was under contract with the Pirates rather than a KBO outfit.

The applicable KBO authorities are slated to consider the matter shortly. If successful, Kang might be permitted to resume play after a much shorter suspension. Yoo suggests something on the order of ninety games might be levied.

Given that he has already seemingly exhausted his chances stateside, and is already at a fairly advanced age for a ballplayer, it’s quite unlikely we’ll see Kang back with an affiliated organization. But it would be quite interesting to watch a potential KBO return effort. The league has only continued to grow in quality since Kang left and it is for the moment the top active baseball league in the world.

Yoo indicates that Kang’s former team, the Kiwoom (formerly Nexen) Heroes, retains his rights even after receiving a posting fee from the Pirates. Accordingly, he’d either work something out with the Heroes or be forced to seek that organization’s approval to latch on with another KBO club.

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